Gulf Air picks low carbon leather for seats

Manama, April 18, 2011

Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, has selected the new low carbon leather for its Falcon Gold class seats on its A320 fleet.

The innovative new made-to-order Voyager leather, designed by Scottish leather manufacturer, Andrew Muirhead & Son, is 30 per cent lighter (at approximately 600 grams per sq m) than normal leather and is expected to result in fuel cost savings for the airline.

John Tighe, senior manager at the airline said the decision to select Voyager was based on improving competitiveness, reducing operational costs and offering customers a greener product.

“Gulf Air has a history of being a pioneer in introducing innovative products and services and we are always on the lookout for new products, which help to keep us ahead of our competitors,” Tighe said.

“Voyager offers savings in operational costs due to the lighter weight of the leather. Benefits in operational costs will result in Gulf Air burning an estimated $200,000 less fuel per year in the A320 fleet alone once the fit out is completed. This will also have a knock on effect in reducing our carbon emissions, which is one of our key corporate social responsibility goals.”

“The new leather is easier to dress the seats, cutting down time on refit, and also gives a neater overall look to the seating and cabin” he added.

Archie Browning, sales director from Andrew Muirhead & Son, said: “Our track record in innovation has made us leaders in the field of upholstery leathers in the aviation industry.”

“Voyager is the next step in high performance yet environment-friendly leather. Use of Voyager will benefit the aviation industry; reducing weight helps reduce energy and fuel used, which is hugely important in a competitive industry, where customers are looking for greener options,” he added.

Gulf Air will start dressing up its Falcon Gold class seats in its new A320 fleet progressively with the new leather upholstery and is expected to complete by mid-2012, a company statement said. – TradeArabia News Service